How to Turn Negative Thoughts into Positive Thoughts

Practicing Positive Thinking in Everyday Life

Do you ever find yourself stuck in negative thoughts? In a cycle of negativity you can’t seem to get out of?

We all have bad days, but we also have days (or weeks or months) where negative thoughts constantly outweigh positive thoughts.

Negative thoughts can cause an array of negative reactions – anxiety, anger, depression and low self-worth, just to name a few.

The good news is it doesn’t need to be this way. We can simply reframe our mindset so that negative thoughts become positive thoughts.

The idea of this is not new or ingenious, but I think it’s important to practice the skills of turning negative thoughts into positive thoughts until it becomes a habit. That way, you never really experience negative thoughts at all, but instead, find positivity in any situation.

It’s not always easy to do, in fact there are probably several situations where it’s near impossible. But in everyday practice, like at work and with family and friends, it’s much better to think positive thoughts that to constantly remain in a pattern of negative thinking.

The Cycle of Negative Thinking

Why do we think negative thoughts? It seems programmed into our minds sometimes that we think in the negative before we think in the positive. This is based on habit.

So, we need to make the habit to be more positive than negative. A good example of this was brought to my attention during my yoga practice. The idea was that we are much stronger than we think and that our minds usually give out before our bodies do.

In this case, we were practicing more complicated moves, such as hand stands. While they do take strength and practice to accomplish, it’s not impossible to do. Our initial thoughts when building up to these poses are “I can’t” or “I’m not strong enough.”

As you can see, the mind went directly to negative thinking. Why? Maybe because we’ve never done it before. Are we scared? Uncomfortable? Or are we just telling our bodies what we think we can and can’t do?

The more we tell our bodies we can’t or we’re not strong enough, the more our bodies will believe it.

But what happens when we tell ourselves, “I can” or “I am strong enough”?

How to Turn Negative Thoughts into Positive Thoughts

Imagine the possibilities in life if we no longer frame our thoughts in a cycle of anxiety, depression or low self-esteem.

Instead, we would relish in feeling calm, content and confident. (How’s that for alliteration?!)

So how do we reframe our thinking? How do we turn negative thoughts into positive thoughts?

Here are some steps to turn negative thoughts into positive ones:

Identify negative thinking

Start by catching the negative thoughts as soon as they happen. Look for negative trigger words, such as can’t, bad, ugly, or negative feelings, such as worry, anxiety, criticism or guilt.

I’d venture to say that most of the time we don’t even realize when negative thoughts happen. If we’re in the habit of thinking negatively, these thoughts happen nearly automatically.

Take a deep breath

As soon as you recognize you’re having a negative thought, it’s a good idea to stop and breath. Take a long, slow inhale through your nose and exhale fully through your mouth.

By focusing on breathing, you will help recenter your mind.

Reframe your thought

Now it’s time to change your mindset to the positive. How can you rephrase the same thought in a positive way?

Can you turn ‘can’t’ into ‘can’? Is there a way to switch the ‘bad’ to something ‘good’?

An example would look something like this. Say you’re working on a big project at work. You may have a lot going on besides the project and you start to feel overwhelmed. You begin to think that the project will turn out poor because you’re unable to stay focused.

Instead of saying “this project is going to be terrible and my reputation will be shattered,” rephrase the thought into something positive. “I’m working very hard to make this project the best that it can be and my supervisor trusts in my abilities because of my good track record.”

By switching from the potential outcome of things going south, you reframe your mindset to say my past dictates that I can and my current hard work shows me that I will.

Again, it’s very easy to go directly to the negative when the moment feels overwhelming, but by catching the negative thought, taking a deep breath and reframing the mind, you will be able to start thinking more positively.

More tips to practice positive thinking

Take five minutes every morning to focus your thoughts

Start an inspiration journal to write down your thoughts each morning. This will help find the positives in your life and help you let go of the negatives.

To do this, jot down a list of three things you are grateful for. What makes you happy in your life? Who has done something nice for you?

Next, jot down a list of three things you will let go of today. This is where you can start to draw out the negativity and then let it go.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being more in touch with your thoughts, emotions and feelings in the moment. The more in touch you are with how your mind is working in the present, the easier it is to identify negative thoughts and change them to more positive ones.

Develop healthy habits

Taking care of your body and mind will help mitigate excess negativity.

Exercise is known to release endorphins, which are natural stress relievers. I like to practice yoga because it also helps with mindfulness. Any physical activity, even just taking a quick walk, can help release endorphins.

In addition, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and maintaining healthy relationships can also keep positive thoughts flowing.

Find an accountability buddy

We all have someone in our life that can call us out when we’re practicing a bad habit. Whether it’s a workout buddy who will get you to go to the gym or a diet buddy who will tell you to drop the chocolate, find someone you can count on to be honest when you need it most.

The same thing goes for practicing more positive thinking. Find someone who will help call you out when you’re having negative thoughts. An accountability buddy might also be someone who can help you reframe negative thoughts into positive ones.

Final Thoughts

Negative thoughts can dramatically affect our mood and outlook on life. Getting into a habit of constantly thinking negatively can mean you constantly feel anxious, mad, sad or depressed.

But the good news is this can be changed. SImple tweaks to your thought patterns and mindset can turn negative thoughts into positive thoughts.

By thinking more positively, you can experience less stress and more happiness in your life.

Reframing negative thoughts into positive ones is a simple process that takes practice. The more you can incorporate this practice into your daily life the easier positive thinking will become.

You can make positive thinking a habit by practicing it everyday. Other simple techniques, such as journaling, practicing mindfulness, living a healthier lifestyle and finding an accountability buddy, will also help make positive thinking easier.

By taking these simple steps to reframe your thoughts you will soon forget negative thoughts all together and begin creating a lifestyle of more positive thinking.